The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-02-09

The great ehilied-lren and steel
vaults bf the Treasury at Washington
are objects OF much interest to visitors,
but only certain ones can be entered by
outsiders, and these only on permit
from the Treasurer.
The FIVE principal vaults are connected
with the Treasurer's office, for the con-
tents OF which he is responsible. They
are known as the cash vault, the reserve
vault, the silver vault the redemption
vault and the national bank vault
Tho cash vault Is used more than all
the others combined. In the daily trans
action OF business, and presents more
interesting features. 1t is constructed
on the most approved modern principles.
and is, strictly speaking, an iron-bound
apartment lined with gold and silver.
The walls, floor, and ceiling are of
chilled iron, built In sections.
These walls are over foot thick.
the space between the inner and outer
plates of iron being filed with heavy
iron balls, forming a compact mass,
the removal OF which would require
much time. skill and labor.
The Bureau OF Engraving and Print
ing, where oil our national currency Is
manufactured, occupies large brick
building built expressly for Il, at O cost
and high basement, and Is In the
Romanesque style OF architecture.
Here $50 plate presses are worked by
hand, and over 500 men and women
employed IN the processes Of printing
sheets OF bank-notes, bonds and inter.
nal revenue stamps.
The long, spacious room, running the
entire length OF the third story, is a
sceneof intense activity during business
hours. Six hundred sheets per day are
printed ON each press. and after each i'm
preston the delicate copper and steel
plate must be removed from the press,
carefully wiped dry. polished with
whiting, linked and then returned to its
place for another impression.
The fibre paper must be handled ex-
pertly, and everything about the work
done with precision and care. All Is
perfect system and exaetIess here.
The greenbacks and other securities
issued by the Government. from the
time the paper Is manufactured until
the finished note Is issued, are subjected
to a system OF registering and checking
at every step, SO minute and precise,
that the chance ofany error or dishonesty
In the handling OF this most valuable
product Is reduced to minimum.
The sheets. before being wet, are
delivered to the plate printers. counted
and charged to them, and again counted
In the presence OF a lady assistant. who
certihes to the count. Attached to the
machine by which the wettlng Is done
are registers which automatically count
the sheets q third time as they pass
through.
Next comes the examining division.
where, after the fourth count, the
sheets are dried and counted the fifth
time. Lady experts then examine the
sheets, and those which are pronounced
| perfect go into the hydraulic press,
| from which powerful machines they
emerge In smooth state ready for
printing.
Any sheets spoiled in prlntlng-too
| light or too dark or otherwise imperfect
--are thrown out by the examiner, but
cannot be destroyed until after
passing through a regular prescribed
course.
The lettering andnumberlng divisions,
and the engraving division, on the
other floors, are interesting also.
/ Yislters are. permitted 10 ineFeet ell
the divisions Of the burosu, and a
guide Is provided TO conduct all who
| apply on a '.tour " of therooms.
Ofthe 500 or 600 persons employed Ia
the bureau, O large majority are ladies.
and some OF the most difficult and
responsible work Is performed by lady
experts.
The bureau turns out an average OF
$100,0 In notes printed daily.
Tho redemption division of the
Treasury Is one of the most Interesting
and busiest. Here worn and mutilated
bank-notes, retired from circulation,
are examined and counted previous to
being cancelled. Every year currency to
the value of 100000 Is counted. can
celled and destroyed.
The counting Is done by female
clerks, many ofwhom acquire great skill
| and seldom make q mistake. Some OF
| those +" countesses" have been at work
ten years or more, and have handled
many millions OF dollars.
They sit on long tables on which the
notes are piled, and package after pack
| ago Is opened, the notes closely scrutin-
| izod and counted, and then turned over
TO the officials In charge OF the cancell-
ing machine, which is run by o
turbine wheel.